Hobby-horse



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. A. GONOVER.

HOBBY HORSE.

No. 348,513. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

N. PFIEHS. FhMoLilhoy-qaher, Wnahlhiion. n. c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. A. OONOVER.

HOBBY HORSE. No. 348,513. Patented Aug. 31, 1886.

N, PETERS, 'Phnlwhuwgrzphor. wnhm m n. c.

citizen of the United States, residing at Roch- UNITED STATES JACOB A. CONOVER, OF ROCHESTER, NEXV YORK.

HOBBY-HORSE.

QPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 348,513, dated August 31, 1886.

Application filed February 5, 1880.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JACOB A. CONOVER, a

ester, in the county of Monroe and State of NewYork, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in IIobbyHorses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in hobby-horses; and it consists in the peculiar and novel construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out-in the claims.

The present invention is more especially designed as an improvement upon that class of devices shown in Letters Patent No. 46,529, granted to Henry T. Metzler on the 21st day of February, 1865. In the device shown in this patent, and all others of its class known to me, the legs of the horse are firmly fixed and rigid to the body; and my invention consists in movably connecting the legs to the body and providing them with means whereby they are caused to move in unison with the rocking mot-ions of the horse, thus providing an additional source of amusement and pleasure to a child, and, besides, rendering the device more attractive and salable at a very trifling expense.

The improvements are very simple, strong, and durable in their construction, thoroughly reliable and effective in operation, and cheap and inexpensive in manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hobby-horse provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizon tal sectional view on the line :r a: of Fig. 1, looking upwardly, and Fig. 3 is a detail detached view of one of the legs. Fig. is a longitudinal section of the base; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line :0 .r of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures, A designates the base on which the horse Bis mounted, and this base rests on the floor and carries the shafts, to which the cams C are mounted. To these cams are secured the ends of straps D, that meet and connect to one end of coiled retracting-springs E, which are suitably connected at their opposite ends to the base A. The shafts that carry the cams are each provided with Serial No. 190,985. (No model.)

two upright supporting-standards, F, which are permanently and rigidly attached to said shafts, (see Fig. 1,) and the upper ends of said upright standards are pivotally attached to the body of the horse B in such a manner as to normally support the same in a horizontal position at all times.

The above-described construction is substantially the same as the patent hcreinbcfore referred to, and the operation is the same.

At the ends of the body of the horse are attachedthe legs II. Theinner ends of the legs are fitted so as to move freely in sockets 71 which are formed on the lower under side of the body, and the said inner ends of the legs are pivotally supported in the sockets by means of screws, pins, or the like, as at h.

I designates the connecting links or rods, one of which is provided for each of the legs. One end of each of the connecting rods or links is pivotally attached to one of the legs H at a point a little below and forward of the point of pivot attachment h, as at '27, and the other end of each of the links is pivotally connected to the upper movable ends of the uprights below the points at which said uprights are pivo ted to the body, so that when the horse is swaying or rocking back and forth under an impetus from the hand or motion of the rider the rods I will transmit the movements of the supporting-uprights to the pivoted legs and cause the latter to be oscillated or moved in unison with the movements of the horse.

It will be readily seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, more particularly Fig. 1 thereof, that when the horse is moving forward in the direction indicated by the full-line arrow in the front legs of the horse will be depressed in the direction indicated by the full-line arrow m, while the rear legs will be elevated or forced upwardly, as also indicated by the arrow on; and it will further be observed that the reverse niovcments of the legs will take place when the horse is moving rearwardly, as shown by the dotted-line arrow 12, the front legs in the latter case being elevated and the rear legs depressed, as indicated by dotted-line arrowsn. The front and rear legs of the horse are thus simultaneously operated or caused to move and in reverse or opposite directions, and the means by which these results are attained are very simple and cheap, and add greatly to the attractiveness of the device and render it more salable.

The device may be finished or ornamented to any desired extent, and other changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction may be made,without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hobby-horse, the combination of the base, the supporting-uprights secured to oscillating shafts, a movable body mounted thereon, legs pivotally connected to the body, and connections intermediate of the legs and uprights, whereby the legs are caused to move in opposite directions in unison with the body,- substantially as described.

2. In a hobby-horse, the combination of the base, the supporting-uprights secured to oscillating shafts, the movable body pivotally mounted on the uprights, the oppositely movable legs pivotally connected to the body, and connecting-link, the latter secured to the mov- 2 5 able' legs and the supportilug-uprights at opposite ends thereof, substantially as described.

3. I11 a hobby-horse, the combination of the base, the supporting-uprights connected to the cam shafts, operated by straps I) and c springs E, a body supported on the uprights, the legs pivotally connected to the body, and connecting links or rods pivoted to the legs at points below and forward of their points of attachment to the body and to or near the upper ends of the supportinguprights, substantially as describec In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB A. CONOVEE.

\Vitnesses:

L. N. DUNBAR, \V. MARTIN J ONES. 

